Strong and courageous are two words I would not normally use to describe myself. As a little girl, I was afraid of many things. My mind would wander immediately to “what ifs” of a certain situation, and then fear would creep in.
All in Spiritual Growth
Watch Out for the Potholes
One particularly cool spring morning, I had decided that I was going to walk around the
neighborhood and catch up on reading my emails in the process. I thought I was being wise with my multi-tasking skills until I found myself down on the ground.
Weed and Sin Control
As I was helping my husband mow the grass one humid spring morning, I noticed how the weeds were suddenly sprouting up and overtaking our grass. As I was moving right along with my mowing, I also noticed how many different types of weeds there were in my yard.
Once Upon a Garden: Day 3
“Well, what did He say? What did He say your name was? Tell me, tell me, tell me!”
“He said my name would be ‘elephant’.”
Once Upon a Garden: Day 2
What is the image of God? Because God is Spirit, we know that it is not a physical likeness. Because He created both male and female with this image, it is not confined to a gender likeness.
Once Upon a Garden: Day 1
What is it about the summer?
Why Is This So Hard?
Today, I write from a place of raw emotion. How is it sometimes the people closest to you wound you the most? If God created us for relationships, why are they so hard? At times, friendships prove challenging. Sometimes, family trumps the charts in difficulty.
The Learning Curve: Day 1
It was our regular Thursday after-school special with the youngest grand girls. When our time was over their dad pulled up in the driveway. As our nine-year old gathered up her backpack and rushed out the door to get in his car, she called back over her shoulder, “I want to learn to bake a cherry pie.”
Are You Listening?
Do you know someone who doesn’t know how to listen? I became acquainted with a kind man who worked at a grocery store I frequented. Every time he saw me, he would stop what he was doing and head my way.
In But Not Of
I have friends who like to scuba dive. They put on their equipment and plunge into a different world under the sea. The sea isn’t an environment suited to man naturally. However, with the right equipment, it is possible to breathe and explore fascinating things God has created.
Run, Jonah. Run
Ah, January—I love Januarys. Januarys beckon me to step back and consider the old year. I transpose my Canadian memories of crisp snowfalls to cover the muddy paths I’ve been over. I cry to the Lord: wash me, and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7). But then Januarys urge me on to chase the new with vigor: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).
Running a Good Race: not in vain
Is cross-country skiing on your bucket list by chance? Then the perfect place for you is in Stowe Vermont at the Trapp Family Lodge—yes, the Sound of Music von Trapps settled in Stowe in 1942, having fled Austria in 1938.
Feeling the Heat
My father ranched when the TV weather report and a swirling wind gauge helped him plan his work days. The metal arrow on our wind gauge always pointed in the direction of the source of the wind. That was the only arrow in my life before discovering King Solomon’s analogy comparing children to arrows in the hand of a warrior (Psa. 127:4 NIV). I’d never considered my own life analogous to an arrow until recently. Oswald Chambers used the analogy to describe something most believers have experienced but, possibly, failed to understand:
The Mind of Christ
The human brain fascinates me. I observed its development as my babies learned to talk, walk and eventually drive away. Oswald Chambers' quote recently challenged me to consider the brain from a new perspective:
“God does not give us the mind of Christ. He gives us the Spirit of Christ, and we have to see that the Spirit of Christ in us works through our brains in contact with actual life and that we form His mind.” *
Baby Steps
Baby steps are so cute!
Little pudgy feet, wobbly, trying to move forward… step by step.
But think about spiritual steps… of the baby… of the mature.
As I think about what mine looks like, what about you?
Grow Up
Am I growing?
This is a good question to ask yourself.
Just like a flower growing up tall in the bright sunshine… in Jesus I grow too.
But are you?
Let Your Words Be Few
Once my daughter and a friend of hers got into a little disagreement. As I asked the girls what the problem was, each girl began telling her side of the story . . . simultaneously. When they realized that neither was backing down, each girl spoke louder and louder. My son was standing right beside me, and his observation was, "That's too many words!" I laughed and had to agree.
To Grow or Not to Grow
One of my favorite things to do is watch my two kids compete in the sports they love. Over the years, I have watched MANY seasons of various sports. I very rarely missed a game or meet of any kind. Of course, I’m their biggest fan!
Quiet and Still
I have to admit, I don’t really like a quiet house. If I am alone, I’ll turn on the TV for some background noise. When fixing dinner or cleaning up, I like to watch or listen to something. I immediately sense the urge to turn on a little HGTV, etc. Even in the car, I am listening to something. Not that this is wrong, but I have allowed this to become a habit for me.
Little Miss Worry
When I was a child, there was a “Mr. Men” and “Little Miss” book series written by Roger Hargreaves. The characters in the stories had dominant personality traits that either caused them problems or showed another character how to engage in the positive quality. Everyone learned something through the moral lessons of these stories. I have noticed that they have made a reappearance in the form of memes.